As4Me » Prayer

How to Pray for Christian Military Families

Michelle — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:20:31 +0000

If you are burdened to pray for a service member or his/her family who is deployed, what would you say? Consider that far more important than their physical safety is their walk with God. Make that the focus of your prayer, most of the time. [Note: I use the masculine gender because my husband is in the US Air Force, but I do realize that women serve in the military and need prayer, too. Feel free to adjust the gender in this case.]

Pray that God would supply godly chaplains to minister the word faithfully and boldly.
Pray that God would enable him to attend services when possible.
Pray that he would be faithfully reading and meditating on the Bible, seeking God first day by day.
Pray that God would use the deployment to reveal a need for Christ, and that the service member would grow in his dependence on Him.
Pray that God would keep him pure in mind and body, that he would be faithful to his wife and family.
Pray for fellowship with other believers, and the opportunity to share the gospel

And don’t forget to pray for wives and children (and parents) at home.

Pray that they would continue to love God’s church and use the deloplyment as an opportunity to serve God in a new way.
Pray that they would trust God and draw near to him even in their loneliness.
Pray that wives would remain pure in mind and body while their husbands are gone.
Pray that they would use the opportunities they have gained to minister the gospel to others.
Pray that God would strengthen the families through separation, that God would reveal weaknesses that need to be addressed, that God would conform each member of the family to the image of His dear son.

Then, do pray for their physical safety. Pray them home!

(Thinking of friends who will have husbands deploying soon. I’m praying for you!)Similar Posts:

Psalm 119 and Prayer

Michelle — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:30:13 +0000

Our Psalm 119 project has been going slower than I expected.

Another different expectation is that we’ve spent more time talking about prayer than necessarily going through the verses.

I asked them if they thought King David was praying when he said things like “I delight in your word.” He wasn’t asking for something. Why would David tell God something that God already knew? We’ve talked about how telling God truth about himself is a part of prayer.

We’ve also been practicing corporate prayer. What should they be thinking about when Mommy prays or reads Psalm 119? That’s a good topic for tomorrow.Similar Posts:

When You Don’t Know What to Do

Michelle — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:00:22 +0000

One of the really awesome things about God is that He doesn’t expect us to know it all.

I have been contemplating this week the ministry of the Holy Spirit when we see a problem, but don’t know what to do about it.

We pray. We do pray, don’t we? Yes, but sometimes we don’t know what to pray for, even. Then we feel discouraged because we don’t even know what to say or what we need.

God talks about that! That’s what I’ve been thinking about.

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:24-27

Today I’m thanking God for the Holy Spirit, who knows far better than I do what I need. When I pray imperfectly, he intercedes perfectly on my behalf. Thus, I can pray confidently, even though I don’t have the confidence that I know the will of God in all things. I’m reminding myself that while I’m not worrying about tomorrow, I do need to be seeking God’s Kingdom. That means faithful time in the Word, reminding myself what is important to God, obeying the things I know to be God’s Will. He’ll take care of all the things out of my understanding and control.Similar Posts:

Unsaved Children Praying at Meals

Michelle — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 10:00:06 +0000

For awhile I’ve wondered whether it is makes sense to allow my children to pray at mealtimes. We do ask them to pray, and sometimes they volunteer. I’m certain that I’ve avoided having them pray when they’ve been naughty (although I wonder if that’s more recognizing the priority of my own need to pray). But if they are not saved, if they know they’re not saved, is it wise to allow them to act as though they are right with God? On the other hand, is it necessary to hover over every spiritual action and remind them of their status as a non-Christian?

These are all questions I’ve had, and never come to any satisfying conclusions. When we started as a family considering James 4 (especially the ideas that 1)God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble and 2) If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us), I realized that I may be closer to resolving some of the questions I have.

This morning, I considered that giving thanks for God is an act of drawing near to God. Look at the opposite of this action:

because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:21-22)

The whole passage focuses on a process. I’ve always been fascinated at the connection between a lack of thankfulness and the rejection of God. When I read this passage this morning, I realized that thanking God is a good part of the process of seeking God and should not be prevented.

What does that mean for our children praying at mealtimes? Well, I’m not going to feel uneasy if my unsaved children want to pray. I think I will be more willing to ask them to pray.

That’s one way God’s Word is changing me. How about you? Is Scripture changing you this week?Similar Posts:

When Do You Pray?

Michelle — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:28:32 +0000

When do you pray for your children’s future? Do you have a disciplined regular time? Do you pray for them when they obey, are unselfish and kind?

singulair

I find I pray when they’re being bad and I’m wondering what the future may hold for them. I’m not disciplined about praying for my children like I should be, and I pray for them when I think about it. And some days they get more prayer than others!!

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Prayer and Child Development

Michelle — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:59:01 +0000

When I was little, I listened with wonder and a little confusion over stories of grown-ups who prayed so often they wore down their wood floors next to their beds and built callouses on their knees. I admired all-night prayer meetings, but I didn’t understand how people could pray so long.

I felt wonder because I recognized that fervent prayer was a wonderful thing.

I felt confusion because I didn’t know what they prayed about. When I prayed for everything I knew, I might be done in a few minutes. I could stretch it out by repeating everything a few times, but then I’d worry that this practice was a vain repetition.

Looking back, I recognize that some of my confusion was that I had fewer words as a direct result of my age, not necessarily a lack of understanding. There is a sense that a Christian child’s spiritual maturing follows the limitations of his physical and mental development. Basically, I didn’t need to worry that God’s approval of my prayers was based on an imaginary standard of adult maturity. He delights in the prayers of His children, no matter how long or sophisticated they may be!

For example, this morning I watched my son practice texting with his dad. He’s learning to read, and was delighted to be communicating with his dad this way, but he didn’t know what to say. So he kept typing words he knew, like “race car,” and then giggling with pleasure that he had communicated with his dad. Of course, Lee was tickled by David’s joy, and he took great delight in thinking up simple questions that David could read and respond to. It was fun to watch them both.

As a child, I loved verses that told me what God delights in. This one always made me smile when I read it:

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. Proverbs 15:8.

My brother Tom introduced me to this passage a few years ago:

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

We think the only way to boast in our wisdom is to be proud that we’re wise and spiritual, but a preoccupation of our lack of wisdom or spiritual maturity can distract us from glorying in God and His character. May we simply delight in a God who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness and forget about ourselves.Similar Posts:

Praying for My Children

Michelle — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:14:27 +0000

At the beginning of the year, our pastor challenged our church to memorize the book of Philippians, one week at a time. That’s two verses a week, which most of the time I think I can manage, especially seeing as how many verses are so familiar.

This week I’ve been learning this:

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Hard not to pray it for everyone you know when you’re up early with sick children. It’s reminding me of how little I pray for my children, and that I need to do better. It’s not a big change, but God has helped me to pray for my children more as a result of this verse.

How is God’s Word changing you?Similar Posts:

Breakfast Transparency

Michelle — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:42:18 +0000

Psalm 78:4

We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

While we shouldn’t display empty ritual for the purpose of showing our children how spiritual we are, there is a sense where it is good and right to be transparent when God truly works in our lives. I think it is right to allow some of our normally private spiritual life to be public for this reason.

This feels awkward. Right after the Pharisee post, I prayed for breakfast with the children. After we say thank you for the food, I usually pray for them (obedience or kindness), to be a blessing to any particular people we will see that day, and then for me. I want my children to understand that talking to God isn’t simply a ritual prayer (God is great. God is good.)

Now, normally when I pray for myself, I pray in the affirmative, as in Help mommy to get her work done, to be diligent, give mommy wisdom in situation X, and so on. This morning, my heart had been stirred to repentance by God’s word, and my natural inclination was to thank God for this gift, but because I was praying out loud, I found it difficult to actually say, “Thank you for your gift of repentance for my selfishness.”

I found it interesting that I could easily (by practice) say, “Help me not to be lazy” but find difficulty saying, “Thank you for helping mommy to see she was wrong to be lazy”

There’s a lot I don’t know… how transparent should I be? How deliberate should my transparency be? should I have specific thoughts/ facets of spiritual life that I want to share with my children in response to their needs, or should it be completely spontaneous? perhaps if I’m aware of the needs of my children (lack of understanding that confession is a part of prayer), God will give me the opportunity to model it (and the grace to recognize the opportunity).

Guess I need more wisdom… and I know where that comes from.

That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments;

Psalm 78:6-7

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Why do we pray for our food?

Michelle — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:38:14 +0000

Why do we pray for our food? I was reading the Lord’s prayer this morning and asked this question of my children. Here is what I told them:

We tell God thank you for our food because Jesus tells us to pray each day (“this day” “daily bread”) for our needs.

And I’m reminding myself that this is why I must pray each day for wisdom and strength to be the Christian, wife, mom that He wants me to be. Sometimes I forget to ask (evidence of too much self-reliance).Similar Posts:

teaching along the way

Michelle — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:03:00 +0000

(in light of the previous post) Today, several times we talked about God seeing everything. When I prayed for breakfast, I told God thank you that he could see us eating breakfast.

Later, as we were driving home from the grocery store, I asked David if God could see us in our van, and he said, “no.” I simply said He could. I need a verse!

I wonder if he has the ability to comprehend such an abstract truth. This three-year-old boy seems a long way from being able to comprehend salvation!Similar Posts: